Blood Shot One Shots
by Nonny The Anon One
Summary: Just various drabbles, character sketches, one shots and inane thoughts.  Story 12: Rated T: Genre: Romance Title: With Vlad's Help
1. Dash's Crush

**I suppose everyone needs a place for the little one shots and strange ideas which proliferate their insane minds (I've been fighting doing this for awhile). This is mine. Expect unconventional parings (no slash though sorry) and lots of fluffage and occasional angst. Some of the one shots will be related, others will not. I'll let you know. Some will be long, others will be short. Ratings will be varied, but I'm putting up a T rating to cover everything.  
**

**I don't own Danny Phantom or any of the related characters, you know who does, 'nuf said.**

** This first one is DashXSamish...  
**

**Dash's Crush**

Dash Baxter sighed as he closed his locker and turned to look at Sam Manson. He watched as she laughed with her two geek friends, Fenturd and Foley. He watched covertly as she sent a covertly admiring glance at Fenturd and Dash felt something burning in his chest. He refused to acknowledge it as jealousy. There was no way on Earth he could be jealous of Danny.

The jock wasn't the most observant person in the world, and like everyone else in the school, assumed that even though they denied it, that Danny and Sam were a couple. He again sighed heavily. No one in their right mind would believe the killer crush he had on the diminutive Goth girl, actually, he couldn't believe it, or explain it himself. The fact was he did, and that was enough to cause him misery.

It was with a great deal of hopeful glee that he watched Valerie Grey walk up to the threesome, put her arm in Danny's and smile at him tenderly. Dash's eyes quickly flashed to Sam, the Goth girl. Dash had expected some other emotion than the bored and bland look on Sam's face. She said nothing as she turned her back on her friends and opened her locker. He watched Danny and Valerie walk away then looked back at Sam and Tucker. He was saying something gently to Sam who now had her head buried in her locker so Dash couldn't see her expression. He could tell Tucker was trying to comfort her. Sam slammed the locker shut and said something to Tucker who shrugged his shoulders and walked away.

Sam looked at Dash, who failed to look away as he met her lavender eyes. She smirked a little then walked over to him.

"What are you looking at?" she asked in a sly tone.

Dash swallowed hard and summoned his courage. "You," he answered. "Do you have a problem with that?"

Sam looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. "Yeah," she said. "I do."

Dash smiled back, feeling more courageous as he read the look of amusement in Sam's eyes. "So," he said slowly. "What are you going to do about it?"

Sam's eyes danced with mischief as she stepped closer to Dash. The jock's heart was beating so fast it was pounding in his ears. He watched as Sam's tongue darted out and moistened her lips. She was toying with him, he knew it. It was likely that she was going to slap him or stomp on his foot then kiss her, but he didn't care as he fixed his gaze on her mouth.

Dash didn't know if he had a crush on Sam or what it was, he knew he'd deny it if his friends asked. He did know he was dying to kiss her again, or for her to kiss him, whatever it didn't matter as long as he could feel the jarring electric pleasure of her lips on his one more time.

As hard as it was to believe, the strangely attractive geek in front of him had kissed him once before. It was only once, and it was quick. He was unsure what had happened, except that she grabbed him and kissed him. He pushed her away in shock and made some smart alecky comment. He couldn't remember what it was except that he ran away in horror…but after the initial shock wore off, he wondered why he hadn't stayed.

Over the months after the kiss, Dash had replayed it over and over in his mind. Sometimes he changed the outcome. Sometimes he hadn't freaked out and pushed her away. Sometimes he had put his arms around her and kissed her back. Sometimes he took her hand and ran away with her.

Dash continued to stare into Sam's eyes, issuing her a challenge. Whether she hit him or not, it was just good to be close enough to smell the sweet fragrance of her perfume. Was it perfume? It was like nothing he'd ever smelled before, floral and musky and perfect. He fought the urge to close his eyes and breath in.

Sam continued to smirk at him, her eyes alight with mischief . She reached up and put her hand on Dash's cheek. He fought the urge to close his eyes, she could still slap him. He wanted to be ready. Her eyes held his hypnotically as her hand snaked around to the back of his neck. Dash tried to hide the fact that her touch made him shiver as her fingers combed through his hair.

Dash swallowed hard as she reached up on her tip toes and put one cheek against his and asked softly, "What do you want me to do about it?"

"W-what did you have in mind?" Dash asked. He was proud that he could still talk, let alone make a comment like that.

"Hmmm," Sam said as she took one of his hands and placed it on her hip. He fought the urge to pull her to him. It was likely she was just waiting for him to make his move so she could issue a smackdown, so he waited.

She took pulled away from him only an inch and looked into his eyes. Dash opened his mouth to say something, but jerked back in shock as she pulled him down closer then pressed her lips against his.

Dash opened his eyes in disbelief. Was this really happening? He waited for her to pull away and laugh at him, but instead she nipped at his lower lip, begging him for a response.

He hesitated a moment longer then put his arms around her and held her close. "Sam," he whispered softly then deepened the kiss. He marveled at how sweet she tasted, how warm she was held against him. How perfect it all was.

"Sam," he said again as she pulled away from him and again pressed her cheek against his. "If you would let me, I'd spoil you rotten. If you let me I would worship you." He shivered as she pressed her lips to his cheek then pulled away.

She opened her mouth to answer. "Yo! Dash!" she said in Kwan's voice. Dash shook his head and Sam vanished. He looked at Kwan in a daze as his friend gave him a worried look.

"You okay?" Kwan asked worriedly as he followed Dash's line of vision. "You were like totally zoning out there."

"Yeah," Dash said sadly as he watched Sam walk by.

She gave him an odd look and said, "What are you looking at?"

Dash blinked and said. "You. You got a problem with that?"

Sam shook her head and replied, "Well take a picture next time, it lasts longer."

Dash smiled then opened his locker. He made sure no one was looking then lifted the picture of Paulina he had taped up and reveled the picture of Sam underneath. He sighed deeply. Yeah, pictures defiantly lasted longer, but they weren't as satisfying as the things he could dream up.

"You're sick in the head Dash," he said to himself as he smoothed Paulina's picture back in place. He looked back down the hall where the object of all his dreams had vanished. He decided he needed some serious help as he closed his locker and went to class. Geek love was just so, gross.

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**Yeah yeah I know. Just humor me will ya? Review if you wish.**


	2. Dying For Vengence

**This one is rated T because of it's dark nature. I'd label this one as Tragedy, Angst.**

**This one is rather…heavy so if you're not in the mood to read something miserable, I suggest you skip this one shot.**

Dying for Vengence

The wind blew through the curtains, drawing them in and out of the window, as if a large angry creature waited outside, debating on just went to crash into the room and devour him. The smell of rain filtered in with the breeze and he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He was afraid to breath too much, as if he was only given an allotted amount of breaths from birth, and if he wasn't careful, he'd use them up, speeding himself to his inevitable death. He was afraid he'd be gone before she showed up.

He had so many regrets. If he could change the past, he would have told her that he loved her. He would have forgiven his best friend for stealing her away from him. He would have been kinder and more gentle. He wouldn't have chased away all the people who cared for him. He had deluded himself that he needed no one, believing some how his half ghost state gave him immortality, but he was wrong. He didn't want to die

The door opened and he turned his pain clouded eyes toward it. His heart raced and he forced himself to hold his breath. Was it her? Could it finally be? Would she forgive him at long last…for all the terrible things he'd done?

A raven haired woman walked into the room, followed by one of his nurses. He closed his eyes. He couldn't look, but he had seen her. She hadn't changed much over the years. She was small and slim. Her skin was still like alabaster. She still wore black. This woman had been the love of Daniel Fenton's life, but with miscalculation, one error, it was gone.

He listened as she sat in the chair beside his bed, afraid to open his eyes, afraid to face the debts he owed and the pain he caused. He heard the nurses's soft shoes squeaking on the floor as she checked the IV at his bedside then pulled a syringe out of her pocket. She inserted it into the IV and he immediately felt the pain in his body dull.

He opened his eyes to look at her and shuddered as he met the cold, angry, lavender depths. She stared him down for a moment then leaned back in her chair, folded her hands in her lap and looked down. She was hiding her tears from him. He reached forward to offer comfort but she jerked away from him.

"Don't you dare touch me," she spat hatefully.

"I'm so sorry," he said gently. "If I could take it back I would. If I could change what happened, bring them back to you…I would."

"Maddie told me you're dying," she said shakily. "Is it true?"

"Yes," he answered.

"Good," she said emotionlessly. "I am going to stay here until you do. I am going to make the rest of your life hell"

"Please," he said. "Haven't I suffered enough? Isn't the fact that I am dying alone and in pain enough for you?"

"No," she growled as she held his gaze. "I want to see you suffer like I have. I want you to understand what you took away from me, what I lost…what we all lost." Tears glittered along her eyelids, and she managed to blink them back.

"You're still the same morbid little Goth girl, I see," he chided gently, hoping to somehow soften her attitude.

"I am not little," She said stiffly. "And I'm no longer a girl. I could hardly be called Goth now, but as for morbid. Yes. I am." Her eyes sparked angrily. "And I came to take what's mine, revenge, justice."

"Samantha," he said trying to reason with her. "I'm already dead. What you see here is merely a technicality."

"I don't really care Mr. Masters," she replied. "All sympathy I had for you or anyone died with Danny, Tucker and Jazz."

Vlad closed his eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he whispered. "If I could take it back I would. I can't! I tried!"

"You should have killed me too," Sam said in anguish. "Why did you have to leave me behind to face the consequences? To suffer their loss?"

"I didn't mean to," Vlad replied in a weak and shaky voice. "I tried to.."

"Kill me too?" Sam asked as her lavender eyes bore into his. "You're going to regret that I didn't die, Vlad."

"No," Vlad said. "I tired to save them. I didn't mean for them to die I…" He watched as Sam fished a vile of ecto-green liquid from her bag. She pulled a syringe out of her pocket and filled it with the liquid.

"Maddie, Jack and I discussed this in depth when we found out you were dying," she said coldly. "It was decided, that I would come here in the guise of taking care of you."

Vlad watched in horror as she walked to the other side of the bed and inserted the syringe into the tube and pumped the green liquid into the IV. She smiled grimly as she looked at Vlad who was watching the green fluid inch toward his veins.

"What is that?" he asked as he reached to rip the IV away from his body. He was weak though and Sam stopped him easily.

"It's just a little something Maddie whipped up just for you," she said. "It will hold you on the cusp of life and death until I give the command."

Vlad closed his eyes. He knew now that he'd never see his precious Maddie again, she wouldn't forgive him. He opened his eyes and looked at the mad woman standing beside his bed.

"I command your last breath now," Sam whispered as she sat back down in her chair. She looked at Vlad's fear filled face and smiled happily.

"Don't do this Samantha," Vlad said. "You're not the type of cruel person to torture a dying old man."

Samantha regarded him blankly for a moment. "How would you know Vlad?" she asked menacingly.

"I know what a kind hearted girl you were. You had to have been for Daniel to love you as much as he did."

Sam shut her eyes in pain. "Don't you dare speak his name. You don't deserve to say it."

"I'm sorry," Vlad began, trying to reason with her.

"Sorry will not bring them back," Sam answered harshly. "And sorry will not change my destined course. The girl you knew died with her friends. All you see here is a shell holding the tortured soul of Samantha Manson…and she will not rest until she sees you burning in hell!"

"Oh God," Vlad said as he closed his eyes and shuddered He could feel Maddie's evil potion working through his body, giving him strength, yet making him weak.

"It's too late to pray now," Sam said fiercely as she reached into a bag and pulled out a white photo album. "You are now beyond redemption."

Sam sat down on the edge of Vlad's bed and opened the first page. He looked down and saw a picture of Maddie and Jack resplendent in their wedding clothes.

"I know the complete history of their family, of their romance, of their love, of their children." Sam said emotionlessly. "I am going to sit here and tell you every last story, every last tale until you feel their loss as keenly as I do. Until you grovel in regret. Until you bleed with anguish…and then I have other plans for you."

"Please," Vlad said. "I can do that now. I can grovel. I can regret. I can feel their loss…"

Sam stared at him for a moment. "The only loss, regret or pain you feel Vlad is at the fact that you no longer have the power. You no longer have control. I know for a fact that you didn't regret your actions in the beginning, and you only regret them now because you realize what those actions are going to cost you."

"Please," Vlad said.

Sam smiled sweetly. "Begging is nice, but wait until I'm finished before trying again." She looked down at the wedding picture and began to talk.

Vlad closed his eyes and silently wished for death.

The End

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**I have no comment. My mind is twisted sometimes.  
**


	3. Choices

**Warning: This is a Tucker x Sam story. I know most people hate the paring, and a lot wonder how I can even write it….well you'd be surprised what you can write when you get mad at Danny. There is some weird DxSness in this story, so if your a DxS shipper it will make your heart ache...It's Angst, Rated T.  
**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Danny Phantom, that hasn't changed much to my chagrin.**

Choices

Sam ran down the street as fast as she could without falling. Tears clouded her vision, pain speared her heart. She had called Tucker the moment she left her meeting with Danny, she knew the techno geek was waiting for her.

Tucker ran out to the street and looked in both ways. He was unsure which direction Sam would come from. He turned as he heard the pounding of feet on the pavement. He could see her running now. His heart squeezed in pain at the anguished look on her face.

"Tuck," Sam called as she spotted him, feeling a sense of relief at knowing he was so close. It seemed to take forever to reach him even though he was walking toward her, cutting the distance between him that much faster. She finally reached him and threw herself into his arms with a great woosh that in the past, when she was taller than he was, would have knocked him backwards.

Tucker closed his arms around Sam and he rocked her as she sobbed into his shoulder. He smoothed his hand in comforting circles on her back. He was probably the only person who understood Sam, who knew how fragile this Goth girl with the tough and confidant exterior really was. If Danny had been a little more observant and a little less clueless he would have known better, that his news would shatter Sam into a million pieces.

He cursed his callous friend as Sam shook with sobs in his arms and he held back his own tears as he cradled her. "Let's go inside," he said tenderly. "It's cold out here."

Sam didn't respond, she just held Tucker tighter. He opened his eyes and looked down the street. He could see someone approaching, he bit back his anger and held Sam just a little tighter.

"Go away," Tucker mouthed angrily as soon as Danny was close enough to see. Danny at least had the decency to look as crushed as Sam seemed to be.

"Is she okay?" Danny asked without speaking. Tucker gave Danny a pointed look and lifted Sam into his arms. He locked his angry hazel green eyes with Danny's despair filled blue and said nothing as he turned and carried their friend inside.

* * *

Danny had always turned to Sam when he was lost. He'd told her more than once that she was like his safe harbor from the storm, his light house guiding him home in his darkest moments. She never turned him away. Even when their paths diverged and Danny's heart drew him away from her, she was still there for him. He would come to her when he felt weary or lost and she always made everything seem better. He knew he loved her, but it wasn't that kind of love. It was just, friendship he told him self over and over again. 

Insomuch as Sam was Danny's safe harbor, Tucker was Sam's. The Techno Geek was teasing but patient as Sam spent most of their high school days pining for Danny and then things changed. Danny went his way and Sam and Tucker went theirs, together.

"Sam," Tucker said as he sat down with Sam in his arms. "Look at me baby."

"I hate it when you call me baby," Sam sniffled as she looked up at Tucker. "I'm not one of your PDAs" Tucker smiled sadly as he wiped tears from her eyes and kissed her softly. Sam put her hand behind his neck and pulled her to him and returned the kiss before pushing herself away from him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Tucker asked as he let Sam go. She shook her head and wiped her eyes again.

"Danny's a jerk," She said. "I can't believe he would let this happen."

"I know," Tucker replied. "I'm sorry Sam. I'm so sorry." Sam looked at Tucker for a moment.

"Why?" She asked shortly. "It's not your fault. It's her. It's all her and he's stupid enough to do what she wants. She's wanted me out of his life from day one. Now I'm out. I've lost my best friend. She won."

Tucker reached toward Sam and she moved away from him. "It's not fair Tuck," she said. "I've been there for him in his darkest moments. We're a team. After all we've been through, how can he just let her dictate his life like that?"

"He loves her," Tucker answered. Sam made a noise of disgust and Tucker smiled.

"I don't see why," Sam finally said. "She's just so…horrible. Calculating. Evil."

Tucker chuckled a little. "You make it sound like he's marrying Ember."

"He may as well be," Sam said bitterly. "And it's not like I'm a threat or anything. I mean why isn't she telling Danny that you can't be a part of his life anymore?"

"Because she doesn't hate me," Tucker answered. Sam snorted then paced around the living room.

"Think about it," Tucker said. "What would you do if I asked you to make that choice? You love me right?"

Sam shook her head. "But I know you love me enough, that you would never make me chose, Tuck. You'd never try to control who I can and cannot be friends with. You're not jealous."

"I am so jealous," Tucker laughed. Sam gave him a look of surprise and he stood and took her into his arms. He kissed her then looked into her eyes.

"Do you remember when we were first together? Our first night you know, together?"

"Yes," Sam said as her expression softened. "I remember." Tucker pulled her closer. "I was holding you in my arms, amazed that you were mine and in awe of everything we'd just shared and then Danny called and you were gone. He called and you jumped."

Sam shook her head. "But he needed help. You could have come with me. I thought you were going too and…" Tucker stopped her.

"He didn't call the both of us Sam. He called you. He knew what was going on between you and I and he tried to break it up."

"No he didn't," Sam said incredulously. "That's ridiculous! Why would he do something like that?"

Tucker bit back the bitter laughter then shook his head. "The point is Sam, I have my insecurities too. Deep in my heart there is always a fear that Danny is going to take you away from me. All he has to do is say the word and I know you're gone. He has such a pull on you Sam…."

Sam looked at Tucker and the sad look on his face. "Oh Tuck," she said as she moved forward and embraced him. "That's not true. It would never happen."

"And if it did?" Tucker asked. "I mean be honest Sam. What would you do if Danny said to you tonight that he was leaving Paulina and he wanted you to run away with him and be his forever. What would you have done? Be honest."

Sam took a deep breath. "I would have told him no," she said. "I would never betray you Tucker I love you too much."

"But," Tucker said. "You're leaving out the fact that you would want to. You're loyalty to me would keep you from going, but I know your heart Sam, I know it beats for Danny, not me."

Sam gasped. "That's not true Tuck! That's so not true! How can you say that to me?"

Tucker felt bad, he knew he was picking a fight, but the subject of Danny was something they always danced around and he couldn't afford to put this opportunity aside. He loved Sam with all his heart. He wanted to marry her, but not with the constant fear that Danny would wake up and realize what he missed. Tucker had nightmares of standing at the alter waiting for his bride only to have her run away with Danny. He understood perfectly well why Paulina didn't want Sam at her wedding, but he couldn't tell that to Sam.

"Sweetheart," Tucker said softly. "I love you. I just want you to understand."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner that you felt so insecure?" Sam asked angrily. "Why didn't you tell me that you thought that I was such a shallow person that I would kiss and hug you and love you one moment then turn on you the next."

Tucker shook his head. "I'm not saying that at all. I'm saying Danny is like that. I can see him doing that. I know you love me, but I think deep down you love him more and…"

"How could you think that Tuck?" Sam yelled as she gestured wildly. "What more do you want me to do? Danny's already out of my life." The realization that she just lost her best friend hit her again and she sat down and put her head in her hands.

"It's just that I don't know where you stand Sam." Tucker said softly. Sam looked up at him tearfully and his heart lurched. He felt like he was kicking her when she was down, he just couldn't stop himself.

"Can you give me a ride home?" she asked tiredly. "I need to lay down. I'm not feeling too well."

"Why don't you lay down here…" Tucker suggested gently.

"No," Sam said stiffly. "I want to get away from you right now. If I go lay down in your room we both know what will happen and I just don't think that will solve anything right now."

"Sam," Tucker said softly as he reached for her.

"No," She said as she pulled away. "Just take me home." Tucker frowned then walked to the door. Sam stood and walked through the door he held open for her. He could see the anger sparking in her eyes and he looked away.

* * *

Sam watched Tucker as he drove her home. She couldn't believe that he had so little faith in her feelings for him. It was the final straw in the bad day she was already having. All she wanted to do was go home and have a long bath and a good cry, some soy ice cream and sleep. 

Tucker stopped in front of Sam's house. He looked at her not knowing what to expect. His heart was hurting and he wished he hadn't brought the subject of Danny's affect on their relationship up. He should have just comforted her, now she was closed off to him.

"I'll give you a call," Sam said as she opened the car door. She looked at Tucker for a moment. Since the moment their relationship started, they had never parted without a kiss. She realized if she didn't she'd feel worse, she wouldn't punish him just because she was mad. She leaned forward and Tucker pulled her to him almost desperately.

"I love you Sam," he whispered, thinking that things couldn't be so bad if she was at least willing to kiss him goodnight. He was so afraid she wouldn't. Sam didn't respond to his declaration. She fled the car and ran into her house. Tucker waited until the light in her room turned on. He saw her open the curtains and look down at him, again another comforting ritual between them. He waved then drove away.

* * *

Sam closed the curtains after waving to Tucker then turned with the intention of starting a bath when she came face to face with a pair of green glowing eyes. She jumped. 

"Danny," she shrieked as she put her hand to her chest. "You scared me!"

"I'm sorry," Danny said as he backed away. Sam gave him an angry look then walked past him to her dresser.

"I thought you weren't supposed to talk to me anymore," she said stiffly. Danny closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Paulina never said anything about Phantom staying away from you," he said as he smiled crookedly. Sam gave him a tired look and he sighed.

"I'm sorry," he said. "So sorry Sam. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Well you did," Sam said angrily not looking at Danny.

"I'm sorry. I'm stupid," Danny said. "I didn't realize how stupid it was till everything was said and done and…" He stopped as he realized Sam was watching him with her arms folded across her chest with a frown on her face.

"So I'm supposed to say, 'Oh Danny, you're so silly. You make such funny mistakes', and then hug you and tell you it's okay that you broke my heart into a million pieces."

Danny shook his head and looked down. "I know I messed up really bad. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you fight with Tuck."

Sam narrowed her eyes at Danny. "You were spying on us?" she asked as she geared up to getting really angry.

"No," Danny said as he held up his hands. "I just knew you were fighting because I was in the car with you." Sam gave him a tired look and he shrugged his shoulders.

Sam rubbed her face tiredly. "Okay," she began. "You've apologized. I hope that sets your conscious at ease."

"Sam," Danny said as he took her arm. "Please. Please I'm stupid. You've always known I was clueless and stupid." Sam tried to pull away from him but instead he pulled her into an hug. She signed and stood stiffly as he hugged her.

"I love you Sam," he said sadly. "I don't want to lose you. I'd ask you to run away with me if it would do any good."

"What about precious Paulina?" Sam asked sarcastically. Danny laughed as he continued to hold on to Sam. She was beginning to relax.

"To the devil with Paulina," Danny growled. "I don't care. I don't want to be with her if I have to leave my best friends behind to have her."

"I thought she was your ideal," Sam teased as she began to return Danny's hug. He sighed in relief.

"Well," Danny said softly as he placed a kiss on the top of Sam's head. "I'm a shallow dork." Sam chuckled then pulled away and looked into Danny's eyes.

"I'm really hurt Danny. That hurt me to think that you'd just give up our friendship like that." Sam said softly.

"I can't apologize enough," Danny said. "I just am in such a mess. How does one get away from Paulina?" Sam chuckled.

"I can't do it for you," she replied. "You have to stand up and be a man Danny. Your such a great super hero. I think you focus all of yourself into being the best Danny Phantom possible and you neglect your Fenton side."

"I was serious you know," Danny said.

Sam looked at him in confusion. "About what?"

"I love you," Danny answered.

Sam smiled. "I love you too."

"If I was free and you were free," Danny said. "Would you marry me?" Sam looked at him in shock.

"You're kidding right?" she asked. Danny shook his head.

Sam smiled wistfully as she thought of Tucker, it's almost as if he predicted this moment, but then Tucker seemed to have not only his perceptiveness but Danny's as well.

"Danny," Sam said as she reached up and touched his face. Danny covered her hand with his. "I love you. I really do, but you can't use me to run and hide because you're unhappy with Paulina."

Danny sighed and closed his eyes. "It's not like that. I'm only with her because of you and Tuck. You two got together and I was left on the outside. It didn't matter that I loved you too…" Sam sighed as she looked at Danny. He rarely shocked her anymore. She knew him like the back of her hand, but he shocked her tonight. Twice.

"You would do that to Tucker?" Sam asked sadly. "You'd hurt him like that?"

"Why not? He has me!" Danny growled. "He knew how I felt about you, yet he stole me from you just the same."

"I love him Danny," Sam said. "I really, really love him." Danny turned away from Sam for a moment.

"But I love you more Sam," Danny said. "We're fated to be. It's the way it's supposed to work. The two close friends living happily ever after together."

"I can't," Sam said. "I can't betray Tucker. I wish I could make you understand," She paused. She bit her lip for a moment. "Maybe we could have had a chance a long time ago, but…now. It's just not possible."

"Why?" Danny asked sadly. "Give me one really good reason why?"

Sam took a deep breath she knew she was going to hurt him. She hated seeing Danny hurt more than anything and here she was going to deliver such a hard blow. "I'm pregnant," she told him. "No one knows yet. I haven't told Tuck…I…" Sam stopped. Danny looked like he'd just been punched in the stomach. He sat down then looked up at Sam.

"How?" he asked.

Sam snorted in half laughter knowing that the question wasn't what Danny meant to ask. "Accidents happen I guess," Sam said as she sat down beside Danny.

He shook his head, "Oh I bet it was no accident," he said half to her but mostly to himself. "He probably planned the whole thing just so he could keep you."

"Umm," Sam said with a doubtful look on her face. "This is Tucker we're talking about Danny. Tucker."

"There's a lot you don't know Sam," Danny said tiredly. "It's been going on between Tuck and I for a long time now. "

"Some stupid male competition?" Sam asked softly. Danny shook his head, it wasn't right to talk about it, he'd already caused enough problems with Sam, and Tucker had obviously already won.

"Are you going to marry him?" Danny asked feeling sick to his stomach.

"Probably," Sam affirmed.

Danny took a deep breath. He stood and walked to the window. "I should be getting back."

"Danny," Sam said as she walked over and put her arms around him. "You're my best friend. I don't want to lose you. I-"

Danny turned and held her tightly. "You know, it's probably better this way. I'm just going to want you and you want Tuck and…" Sam didn't know what to say.

"I need to go," he finally said as he let her go.

"Good bye Danny," Sam told him gently.

He stared into her eyes for a moment. "Bye Sam," He said then flew away and was gone.

Sam waited a moment then picked up the phone. "Tuck," she said. "I'm sorry. You were right about everything. Can you come over?"

The End

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**I know, poor Paulina, I've been using her ill as of late. I know I made Danny so shallow. I just…needed to get the rest of this TxS kick out of my system.**


	4. Role Reversal

**Brace yourself dear readers. This is my one and only Danielle Fenton story. Hehehe I am laughing mirthfully. Don't freak out. Just read!**

Role Reversal

"Danielle Fenton?" a woman at the large desk in front of the crowded room called. Danny looked up at the woman at the desk then elbowed Sam who was engrossed in an article in the ten year old magazine which she'd found sitting in the chair beside her.

"Sam," he said as he stood. "Come on."

"I can't get used to being called Danielle," Sam whispered and Danny chuckled. She winced a little as she stood. Danny took her elbow and helped her follow a nurse down the hall and into an examination room. The nurse took a look at Danny then looked at Sam.

"This is my boyfriend," Sam said and almost cracked up laughing. "His name is Sam. Say hi Sam." Danny gave Sam a pained look.

"Hi," Danny told the nurse obediently. The nurse shook her head as she took Sam's vital signs then told them the doctor would be in shortly.

Danny sat down on the stool in the corner of the room and started spinning. "I don't see why we have to go through all this secrecy Sam," he said. "I mean why do we have to even change our names? Why do we even have to keep this a secret?" They had even traveled two towns over to further protect their identities.

"Because," Sam answered. "If my parents found out about this, they would forbid me from ever, ever seeing you or Tucker again. In fact, I think they'd send me as far away as possible."

"Okay," Danny said. "But why do you have to call me Sam?"

"Because I can't call you Danny," Sam replied happily. "I'm Danni, therefore you are Sam."

Danny smirked as he spun on the stool. "Couldn't you just call me Tucker?"

Sam laughed. "Would you really want to be Tuck?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with glee.

Danny looked at her thoughtfully for a moment then said seriously. "If it would make you confide in me half as much as you confide in Tucker, then sure. I'd want to be Tuck."

Sam gave Danny an annoyed look. "I don't confide in Tucker more than I do you. What? Are you jealous?"

"Yes," Danny said as he spun around and around on the stool. "I'm very jealous I…" he stopped talking as the door opened. The doctor walked in looking very stern and very stoic.

"Good afternoon Danni," he said as he looked at Sam. He shot a quick glance at Danny then looked back at Sam.

"Hi," Sam answered cheerfully. Danny put one on hand to his head and the other on the wall to steady himself.

The doctor cracked a small smiled and said, "Be careful Sam or you'll be the one on the examination table instead of Danni." Sam stuck out her tongue at Danny who only rolled his eyes at her.

"All right Miss Fenton," The doctor said on a deep breath. "Let's take a look and see how you're healing. Sam laid back and the doctor, removed the bandages, and looked at the stitches on her hip. He shook his head and made the same remark he did the first time, it looked like she was bitten by a very large animal instead of falling out of a tree house and into some shrubbery.

Danny said nothing as he looked at the large gash on Sam's hip. He felt a large twinge of guilt tickling at his stomach. If he had been a little quicker and distracted by Valerie a little less, he could have prevented the large tiger like ghost from trying to run off with Sam in it's mouth.

The doctor frowned and shook his head. "Dannie," he said. "I'm very disappointed in you!"

Danny blinked at the doctor. "Why?" he asked. "I didn't…." he stopped and realized the doctor wasn't talking to him. "I mean I didn't umm….Why are you disappointed in her?"

The doctor looked at Danny for a moment then turned to Sam. "Did I not tell you to take it easy? Did I not tell you that running around too much could rip the stitches open?"

"Yes," Sam said sadly. It wasn't easy being one of Danny's friends and keeping inactive. They were always running from or chasing after ghosts.

The doctor sighed heavily then looked at Danny. "All right Sam here's the deal. I'm going to close this wound…again…and then I am going to release her into your hands. Do you know what that means?"

"Uh," Danny said softly. "That I have to take care of her?"

"Yes!" the doctor said, acting as though Danny had answered a very tough question. "In fact. She's going to be your responsibility from now on. You are to keep her from running, jumping and anything more than simply walking, slowly where she needs to go. Got that?"

Danny smiled at the doctor then smiled at Sam who was glaring at him with narrowed eyes. "Yeah," he said. "But can you tell her that?"

The doctor turned and looked at Sam. "You young lady are to listen to Sam. His word is law. You do not engage in any unnecessary activity. Sam is the boss." A nurse entered the room and they quickly got to work reclosing the wound.

"You're really lucky that this wound is as shallow as it is Sam," the doctor remarked as he finished bandaging her side. "Any deeper and you would have been in the hospital. I want you to think about that as you spend the next week resting.

* * *

"What are you grinning about?" Sam asked as she walked, slowly, out of the doctor's office with Danny.

Danny smiled at Sam smugly. "You heard the doctor. I'm the boss now."

Sam rolled her eyes. "He was kidding Danny."

"No he wasn't," Danny said seriously. "You're supposed to take things easy and I get to be the boss. Didn't you hear what he said?"

Sam smirked at Danny. "His exact words were, Sam is the boss. I am Sam, therefore I am the boss."

"Nuh uh!" Danny said as they turned into an alley and he transformed to his ghostly persona. "He may have said Sam, but he was talking to me. You are mine now."

"Yours?" Sam asked then laughed as Danny picked her up in his arms with his hands under her knees and her arms around his neck.

"Yeah mine!" Danny confirmed with a pleased smile on his face as he her flew home.

The End

* * *

**Again, I have no good excuse except I'm rather demented. And hey if you have a situation you'd like to see as a one shot, I'm certainly open to challenges. Just...No Slash and it has to stay T rated. **  



	5. Bedtime Tales

**Guess what! I still don't own Danny Phantom of the related characters Can you believe that? Oh and I don't own the three little pigs either.**

Bedtime Tales

The Three Little Geeks  
As told by Dash Baxter

Once upon a time there was like these three little geeks. One was named Danny Fentoad. The other was Sucker Foley and the last was Sam Monsoon. They were given money by like the king geek guy himself, Mr. Lancer and told to go out into the world and make homes for themselves and basically spread geekiness throughout the land.

The first little geek, Fentoad, thought he was like so cool and he wanted to save his money so he bough like a bunch of straw from a guy on the road. He plonked his straw down and used plank for a door. Fentoad then burrowed himself down in the straw and said. "Dude, I'm totally at home right here." He was happy until the big bad Kwan walked by.

Kwan was like totally known as a big bad jock. He was cool, but not cooler than the king of jocks, but that's a story for another time. So, like Kwan looked at the feet sticking out of the pile of straw and knew that a geek lived within. Nothing was more fun then kicking some geek butt! He knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Fentoad asked in his geeky little girly voice.

"It's Kwan," Kwan answered. "Let me in geek!"

"No way dude!" The geek answered.

Kwan shook his head and looked the pitiful pile of straw and laughed. "Okay," he said. "Then I'll flex and I'll squat and I'll fart your house down."

Then Fenturd squealed and squawked and began to run, but the Big Bad Kwan caught up with him and kicked him square in the butt, then let the little geek go on his merry little way.

The next little geek was Sucker Foley. He thought he was all cool and high-tech and all that stuff, so he decided he was going to save his money for some rockin cool gagets. He wandered through the forest for a few days collecting twigs, and with them he built his house.

And so it was that the Big Bad Kwan happened by again. He looked at the twig house and had a mighty laugh at the pitifulness of it, and knew that a geek lived within. He began looking forward to kicking some geek butt! He knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Sucker asked in his geeky little girly voice.

"It's Kwan," Kwan answered. "Let me in geek!"

"No way dude!" The geek answered.

Kwan shook his head and looked the pitiful pile of twigs and laughed. "Okay," he said. "Then I'll flex and I'll squat and I'll fart your house down."

Then Sucker squealed and squawked and began to run, but the Big Bad Kwan caught up with him and kicked him square in the butt, then let the little geek go on his merry little way.

The third little geek, Sam Monsoon was a smart little geek. She spent her money and made her house out of bricks. She had just hung her black Gothic curtains when her two geeky friends appeared with big black eyes and warned her of the horrors of the mighty Big Bad Kwan.

The three little geeks ran inside Sam's house and locked the door. They sat inside weeping and shaking like the fearful little geeks they were and waited for the arrival of Big Bad Kwan.

And so it was that the Big Bad Kwan happened by again. He looked at the brick house and was a little impressed by the sturdiness of it, but he was smart, and knew that a geek lived within. He began looking forward to kicking some geek butt! He knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Sam asked in her geeky little girly voice.

"It's Kwan," Kwan answered. "Let me in geek!"

"Bite me!" The geek answered.

Kwan shook his head and looked the big brick house and laughed. "Okay," he said. "Then I'll flex and I'll squat and I'll fart your house down."

"Just try it," the geek replied.

So Kwan flexed, and squatted and tried to fart the house down, but unfortunately the house stood sturdy and firm. He sighed in frustration and tried again and again, but like it just wouldn't work. Finally the Big Bad Kwan left the geeks to dwell in their geekiness and they lived so totally geekily ever after.

* * *

Paulina put the paper she was reading down and looked at Dash who was grinning at her like an idiot.

"There is no way I'm reading this story to my little sisters and brothers," she said then looked at the paper again. Dash took the paper out of her hands.

"It's your loss," he said then smiled.

Paulina rolled her eyes. "I think that maybe you've taken too many hits to the head in football," she told Dash who only laughed as he folded up the paper and put it in his pocket.

* * *

**And yes, I am still crazy. I lost my sanity some where around my 3rd or 4th story. **


	6. Just Dreaming

**The following story is an excerpt from a deleted story. It's your standard cliche, Danny visits Sam in her sleep dream fluff**

**Still, not owning anything here! **

Just Dreaming

Danny tossed and turned in the darkness. He'd gone to bed early. His date hadn't lasted long. He just didn't feel like staying out late. He liked dating other girls, but it wasn't like with Sam. With Sam he always felt like he could never get enough of her, just one more minute, one more second, one more hour. He rolled over, looked at the clock and groaned. It was two oh one am.

They been fighting for over a week and he missed her with a pain he was loath do describe. He missed her snark during the movies. He missed holding her hand. He missed her sarcastic sense of humor and her face. He looked at the clock again two oh two. He stood. He had to see her. She would be asleep and never know. The only thing that would stem the ache in his heart was her face. So, without effort he changed into ghost form, went invisible, intangible and flew out of the house like he did almost every night since their big fight.

He found her curled up fetus style on her bed, her arms wrapped tight around a little pink pig. Pink pig? He examined her closely and noticed the trail of tears on her face. Had she fallen asleep crying or had those tears spent themselves after she'd fallen asleep and could no longer control her emotions? The escape of two droplets rolling down and falling on a wet pillow told him it was the former and his heart constricted. He hadn't allowed himself to become visible as he stood near her bed, afraid that maybe she'd wake up. He gently touched her face and she stirred slightly and turned toward his light feathery touch, and sighed.

Danny took a deep shaky breath as he looked at her sleeping face. He allowed himself to become visible and warred with himself. This was the girl he'd love forever, he knew that as surly as he knew he'd never willingly part with his ghost powers again without either he was incomplete. All the ghost fighting and trauma in his life had brought him a certain degree of maturity and he knew and recognized real love when he saw it. But, wasn't this why he didn't want to be with her in the first place, because he loved her so much he had to protect her from him? All he could ever really do is hurt her. Her life had been on the line so many times.

She was his strength. It was true, even now he could be strong because of her. But should he lose her….well maybe she was a liability. His ghostly weakness. He looked at Sam's clock. 2:45. He'd spent a lot of time just watching her sleep. He was tired. Maybe now that he'd at least been in her presence, he could sleep.

Danny turned to walk away, almost ready to fly back home when something stopped him. He paused and looked back down at Sam. She was a sleep. She'd hardly know he was there and he missed her so badly. He held his breath as he bent down and pressed his lips gently against hers. As if by reflex or instinct her face lifted and her lips parted and clung to his. Danny's heart, which was already pounding at record speed, sped up and he felt the rush of adrenaline into his system. He was about to pull away when Sam's hand snaked up around the back of his head and cupped the nape of his neck and pulled him down for what could only be termed as a soul shattering, heart breakingly beautiful kiss. Danny wanted to sink into the embrace, to take what she was unknowingly inviting, but he couldn't in good conscious continue. He stilled and began to pull away slowly.

"Danny?" Sam asked as she sleepily opened her eyes. She smiled at him and he was sure he was going to break then and there.

"Go back to sleep," Danny said gently. He was shaking now. "You're dreaming."

"Oh," Sam sighed as she blinked at him slowly. "I love you."

Danny closed his eyes. "I love you too Sam," he whispered as he stood. He was just about to turn invisible and leave when Sam spoke again.

"Danny?" she asked. He paused and looked at her. "If I am dreaming. How can I go back to sleep?"

Danny's eyebrows furrowed. Sam had to be smart, even in her sleep. "Because you're dreaming." He answered.

Sam laughed and the sound of it pierced him clear through his heart. "If I'm dreaming," She said. "It wouldn't hurt for you to stay a little while longer. Would it? Since I'm just dreaming." Danny wanted to laugh. She was definitely awake. Damn. He'd been caught. He shouldn't have kissed her.

Sam sat up and looked at him. "I know you've been coming here Danny. Maybe not every night but…"

"It's been every night," Danny admitted.

"Why?" Sam asked as she put her feet on the floor. "Because you miss me?"

"Yes," Danny answered as he rubbed the back of his neck. Sam stood and walked over to him.

"We're just dreaming," She said softly then put her arms round him, pulled her to him and kissed him again.

* * *

**Ahhh so very, very cliche! Oh well what can I say? I am after all just a sucker for fluff.  
**


	7. Tattoo

**Nope, I still don't own Danny Phantom. Sorry guys. I'd think its safe to say that neither do you.**

**Genre: Humor **

**Rating: K**

Tattoo

Sam lay on the table, feeling more exposed to the man sitting at a chair beside her, than she'd ever been to anyone, even her doctor, despite the white sheet covering her. She blushed fiercely and wondered if maybe she should rethink her idea.

"Don't worry babe," said the tattoo artist, Butch, who sat in his chair preparing the inks. "I've seen it all, this is nothing to me. It barely even phases me anymore. You'll be fine."

"Thanks," Sam said then took a deep breath and felt Butch swab the spot were he'd be placing the tattoo. She designed it herself, a long time ago, of course she couldn't tell that to Butch.

"The first thing I'm going to do," Butch said, "Is draw an outline of your design." He was a fast worker and before she knew it he was prompting her to sit up and look.

"Is that what you want?" He asked as he tilted his head quizzically.

Sam smiled and tried to suppress the giddy excitement building up in her stomach, and forced herself not to touch it. She didn't want to ruin Butch's preliminary work. It was black and small, the perfect size, in the perfect spot very, very low on her stomach and well, to the left. Even if she wore a binki, which she never did, it would remain hidden.

No one would ever see it, except a lover perhaps, and then she'd probably have a little explaining to do, but that wouldn't be for a very long time. She had just turned eighteen, and didn't think she was ready for something like that…She was ready for a tattoo though. She half laughed at her thoughts.

"It's perfect," she said as she smiled at the artist. He nodded his head, obviously pleased with her reaction. He readjusted his rubber gloves then told her to prepare herself. Sam closed her eyes tight. She felt like she was shaking and made the effort to remain completely still.

"Okay Babe," Butch said. "This is it. Now or never. Are you absolutely sure you want this? You know it's forever and once I start…I ain't stopping."

Sam opened her eyes and looked into Butch's questioning gaze. "Do it," she said with determination. The funny thing was, that it didn't hurt as much as she thought it would, and when everything was said and done, Sam had a lovely little tattoo.

She listened carefully as she was told how to care for it, paid the finale half of the money she owed and walked out into the hot summer air feeling almost euphoric. She looked at her watch and cursed a little under her breath, she was late.

* * *

Tucker looked up as Sam entered the Nasty Burger. "You're late," he complained. "You were supposed to be here thirty minutes ago." 

"Sorry," Sam said then suppressed a wince of pain as she sat down in her usual spot, next to Tucker and across from Danny, the tattoo made her sensitive skin sore. "My appointment took a little longer than I thought it would."

Danny looked at Sam for a moment. "What appointment?" he asked. "Doctor? Are you sick?"

"No," Sam answered. "I'm fine."

"There is something different about you." Tuck said as he eyed his Goth friend warily. "Are you okay?"

Sam smiled, she was almost glowing, and it was obvious that something major had happened. The look in her eyes was far away, dreamlike, satisfied, and it gave the ghost hybrid sitting across from her, a severe case of heartburn as he wondered just who was responsible for putting that joyful look on her face.

"Yeah," Danny said as he leaned forward and examined Sam. "Tuck is right. You're different in some way." Sam looked at him and the flush growing across her cheeks made his stomach feel weak.

"Who is he?" Tucker asked as he continued look at Sam, his eyes full of worried questions. She turned her gaze to Tucker and continued to smile. She should have known that she was too close to her friends for them not to sense something was different, even if they'd never see it.

"It's no one," Sam answered. "And the rest is none of your business." She met Danny's troubled gaze again and smiled. She would never tell either of them about the little tattoo of the Danny Phantom symbol. It represented her best friend, and the boy she was madly in love with. She figured that someday, maybe, she'd get over the in love with part, but she knew she'd always want Danny to be a part of her, and now he was.

"Come on Sam," Danny almost wined. "Tell us."

Sam shook her head. "It's nothing. Really." Tucker and Danny looked at each other doubtfully.

"It's just," Sam started then smiled even brighter. "I was thinking maybe getting a tattoo, a big gothic black rose dripping blood on my back. What do you think?" Both boys looked at her in wide eyed shock and she cracked up laughing.

THE END

* * *

**Because of deep spiritual and philosophical beliefs, I do not endorse the practice of tattooing. I would NEVER modify my body in ANY way. (I don't even have pierced ears). It's not something I would ever advise anyone to do. Therefore this fic is not endorsing tattooing (If you do tattoo however, that's your choice, it's your body, you have to live in it for the rest of your life). I know. I know. –eye roll-** **Oh and I reserve the right to use this idea in a future fic, so if you see it again well…yeah you know.**


	8. Ode To Tucker

­

**Genre: Humor/Romance**

**Rating: K **

Ode To Tucker

Tucker frowned as he looked at the note sitting in his locker. He thought maybe it was a mistake at first. Who was going to put a note in his locker? Seriously? But the fact that it had his name written on it in pretty floral script, told him that it wasn't a mistake.

He looked at the note dubiously, like it was a snake which would bite him if he dared touch it. Who would be writing him a note and leaving it in his locker? He knew it wasn't from Sam, he would recognize her handwriting, and the paper was pink, Sam would not give him a note written on pink paper.

"Well Foley," he said to himself. "The only way you're going to find out who it's from, is if you read it." He looked around briefly to see if anyone was watching him, but as usual in the halls of Casper High he was invisible, unless some sort of painful humiliation was in store. He picked up the note and was about to open it when his two best friend's appeared beside him.

"Yo Tuck," Danny said happily. "Wassup?"

"Wassup?" Sam teased. "What's with the wassup?"

"I just thought I'd be you know, different for a change," Danny defended in a hurt tone.

"You're deranged," Sam told him with a smug smile on her face.

Tucker sighed. This was how things normally went. They both walked up to talk to him, but ended up bantering back and forth, flirting, completely forgetting he was there. He was pretty sure he could walk away and they wouldn't even notice.

He slipped the note into his pocket then cleared his throat. "What are you two lovebirds up to this morning." Both Danny and Sam looked at him in embarrassment. Zing!

"We're not lovebirds," Sam growled menacingly, while Danny simply shook his head in agreement.

"Whatever," Tucker replied then looked at Danny. "You ready for the test?" As he suspected Danny's eyes widened in horror.

"What test?" he asked in a worried tone as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

"The one in first period," Tucker answered. "You know, the one that counts for a third of our grade?"

"Oh crud!" Danny sighed as Sam snickered.

"Good luck on the test boys," she said as she walked away. "I'll think of you while I am in my nice cozy little first period class, not stressing about a test." Danny stuck out his tongue at her, and he stuck out his tongue back.

"You two really are way too cute," Tucker said as he frowned and patted the note in his pocket. He'd have to wait until second period to read it. The last thing he needed was Danny noticing it and reading it before he got a chance to himself.

First period passed fast, thanks to the stress of the test. Tucker was one of the last people to put down his pencil. He looked around to see Danny stressfully marking boxes and shook his head. Tucker didn't expect to get an a, maybe a solid C, but he was sure Danny was going to flunk, hard.

Finally, Tucker reached his second class. The note felt like it was burning a hole in his pocket. He sat at his desk then looked around. There was no one in the class who would give him a hard time. No bullies. No Danny. No Sam. It was safe.

He carefully opened the note, and put it in his note book. He took a deep shaky breath then opened the notebook and started to read.

I see you standing in the background.  
Your face brightened by silver reflected light.  
I understand how it feels.  
To be the silent witness to a grand romance.

You think that you are ignored  
You think no one sees your pain  
But I see. I understand how it feels  
To be the one left out.

Would it surprise you to know  
That I dream of you?  
That I admire you?  
That I love you?

I don't want you to despair  
That emotion is reserved for my heart.  
Because I can't tell you who I am  
The risk is too great.

Remember someone dreams of you.  
Someone admires you  
Someone loves you  
And that someone is me.

Your Secret Admirer.

Tucker's eyes boggled. He read the note through over and over again. He was in a daze. Someone loved him? Was this a joke? It had to be a joke. Next thing he knew Sam or Danny would jump out laughing at him…only they weren't really that cruel.

Maybe it was something Dash, Paulina and the other popular kids got together to do. He really couldn't believe the note was real. He read it again in third period, trying to analyze every line. He couldn't keep the smile from his face. No matter how hard he tried.

Sam was the first to meet him at lunch, and Tucker couldn't hold back the news any longer. He brandished the note like it was the winning ticket to a five hundred million dollar lottery. Sam eyed him worriedly then read the note.

"This is sweet," Sam said as she read through the poem.

"Yeah," Tucker sighed.

"Do you know who wrote it?" Sam asked.

"No clue," Tucker answered regretfully. "I wish I did."

Sam read through the note and shook her head. "Whoever she is, doesn't really give that many clues. What is this grand romance you're a witness to?"

Tucker rolled his eyes and took the note from Sam. He wasn't about to spell it out to her. He wasn't in the teasing mood today. He just wanted to bask in the glow, that somewhere in the school was a girl who actually loved him.

"What's with you two?" Danny asked as he sat down at the lunch table and surveyed the dreamy faces of his two best friends.

"Tucker has a secret admirer," Sam answered. "She wrote him a really sweet poem."

Danny raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure it's a girl, Tuck?" he teased.

"Oh man!" Tucker said in dismay as he looked at Sam. "I never thought of that!"

Sam shook her head and gave Danny a dirty look. "There's no way it was written by a guy. What kinda guy writes on pink floral paper and has such pretty handwriting."

"A gay one," Danny answered as he shoved a French fry into his mouth. He paused, "Not that there's anything wrong with that or anything." Sam rolled her eyes and put her hand on Tucker's shoulder.

"My intuition tells me that it's a girl, Tuck," she told her friend gently. "Don't worry about it."

"I just wish I could figure out who it is," Tucker said sadly.

Danny looked back and forth to Tucker's and Sam's glum faces. "Are you going to let me see the note or what?"

"Oh sure," Tucker said then handed the paper to Danny. Danny smiled teasingly then looked at the paper. His eyes widened and he looked at Sam, who instantly detected his panic.

"Danny?" She asked. Tucker's smile faded and a look of fear spread across his face as he watched Danny's horrified expression.

"I'm sorry, Tuck," Danny said as he shook his head, not taking his eyes from the note. "But this isn't real. It has to be a joke."

"Why?" Sam asked as she put her arm around Tucker protectively. "Have you seen the poem before? Do you recognize the hand writing."

"Oh yeah," Danny said as he nodded his head. "I recognize the handwriting all right."

"Whose is it?" Sam and Tucker asked in unison. Danny looked at them both with wide frightened eyes.

"Jazz's" he answered then looked at Tucker and growled.

Fini

* * *

**Mua ha ha ha ha ha! Please excuse the bad poetry. Review pulleeeze?**  
**Mu**  



	9. Reunion

**Still own nothing but my skin**

**Genre: Drama**

**Rating: T **

Reunion

Daniel Fenton, sat down on the couch at Fenton Works, next to his wife, he took her hand and smiled at her, and she smiled nervously.

"How long has it been since you've seen her?" she asked softly.

"Eight years," Danny answered. "We went our separate ways after college" He frowned. He had missed Sam. He wrote her letter after letter which had gone unanswered and then were finally returned as addressee unknown. He went looking for her, but she disappeared without a trace. Her parents moved soon after Sam's graduation and he had no idea where they went. Sam was lost to him.

Tucker walked through the door and smiled at Danny. "Hey!" he said as Danny stood and the two friends embraced.

"It's good to see you!" Danny said happily. Tucker had moved away a year ago and their reunions had been few and far between.

"Same here!" Tucker laughed then hugged Danny's wife.

"Jill," he said happily as he hugged the brunette with the brown eyes, and though she was tall, both Tucker and Danny towered over her.

"I'm so glad to see you," Jill said. "I'm so nervous about meeting Danny's friend, Sam. I've heard so much about her, I almost believe she's a myth."

Tucker's bright smile faltered and he looked at his watch. "What time is she supposed to be here?" he asked.

"Her letter said three," Danny answered then sat back down. His heart was beating in his throat like a frightened bird. He'd been nervous ever since the letter from Sam arrived in the mail. It had been short and sweet. She was visiting Amity Park and would drop by at three in the afternoon on a certain day. He had called Tucker immediately who told Danny he'd received the same message. Danny had been unsettled ever since.

A knock sounded at the door and Tucker told Danny to stay still he would get it. Jill watched silently as Danny paced back and forth, she was fully aware of how nervous Danny was to reunite with his old friend, she was nervous too.

"Tucker!" A feminine voice cried out and Danny froze. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a few deep breaths as he heard them move into the room.

"Danny?" her voice asked. He closed his eyes. It sounded the same. She sounded like Sam. He began to feel sick to his stomach, he didn't want to face her, but he turned and looked at her.

His electric blue eyes filled with tears as he looked down at her face. She was petite, her hair was still short. Her eyes were still lavender and she was still pale. His heart squeezed painfully at her shy smile. Would he ever stop loving her?

"Sam," he said softly as he moved toward her. Her face brightened as she held open her arms for him and suddenly he was home. "Sam," he whispered over and over and over again as his tears flowed. He never expected to see her again.

"Danny," Sam said calmly. "I need you to let me go." Danny closed his eyes tight. He never wanted to let her go. How had he managed to let her slip away for so long? She was back where she belonged now. He'd never let her go again.

"Danny," Sam laughed. "You're going to squish the baby." Danny let go of Sam then stepped away and looked at her. She was heavily pregnant and still smiling at him in that wry way he always adored. He then noticed a man standing beside Tucker. Everyone was watching them curiously.

Danny looked back down at Sam whose smile had faded slightly. The turned and gestured for the man beside Tucker to walk forward. "I want you to meet my husband, Eliot," she said Danny looked at her in shock and she laughed.

Eliot reached out his hand for Danny to shake. "It's been a very, very long time." Danny took in the man's sandy blond hair and green eyes. He shook his hand dazedly then looked at Sam.

"Yes," Sam laughed. "We knew him as Gregor back in the ninth grade."

"You married him?" Danny asked in shock. Sam laughed and nodded her head. Danny frowned at her then suddenly remembered Jill. He felt so bad. He turned to her and pulled her to his side.

"Sam," he started. "I'd like you to meet my wife, Jillian."

"I've heard so much about you," Jill said warmly. "It's so nice to finally meet you."

"I've heard about you too," Sam laughed as she stepped forward and hugged Jill. Danny's eyebrows furrowed. How would she hear about Jill? He turned and looked at Tucker who seemed to be edging out the door.

"Tucker!" Danny growled. .

"Yo," Tucker said as he looked at his best friend, his face the picture of innocence.

"We need to talk, Danny," Sam said she looked at Eliot then Jill. "Do you mind if we go for a walk. I have a lot of things to tell Danny." Both Eliot and Jill agreed. Tucker sat down on the couch. Sam touched his head as she walked by him and he smiled.

"Are you sure you should be walking?" Danny asked as he watched Sam practically waddle out of the house.

"I need to walk," Sam said as she let Danny take her hand.

"What happened to you?" he asked. "Where did you go? Why didn't you answer any of my letters? Why did you abandon me?"

Sam was silent for awhile. "I didn't abandon you, Danny," she said softly. "I just needed to move on."

Danny shook his head in confusion. "Yes you did!" he told her. "You never wrote again. You never called. You disappeared. Sam…"

She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "I can't explain it Danny. I'm sorry. I just needed to move on."

"Why?" Danny asked. "And why did you marry that liar Eliot? What took you so long to come back?"

"Don't ask everything at once," Sam said dryly. "I married Eliot because I love him. We met again a few months after I left for college. He apologized for his stupidity, he was just a stupid kid then."

"And the rest?" Danny asked feeling sad, weak, sick and miserable.

"I didn't come back until now because it wasn't the right time. Tucker told me you just got married and…"

"Wait," Danny interrupted in an outraged tone. "Tucker told you? How did Tucker tell you anything?"

Sam rubbed her hands across her face tiredly. "I think he and Jazz were wrong," she sighed.

"Sam!" Danny growled angrily. "I searched for you everywhere. They told me you never enrolled in NYU. Where did you go? Why?" Sam watched his eyes flaring green with emotion.

"Hold on a second," she said as she put her hand to her stomach. She pulled out her cell phone.

"Tuck," she said. "We have a code green." She hung up the phone and looked sadly at Danny.

"If you don't calm down," she began. "I can't stay." Tucker was outside like a bolt of lightening and suddenly standing between Danny and Sam.

"Hey Danny," Tucker said happily. Danny couldn't take his angry green eyes off of Sam. He was suddenly filled with an urge to strangle the life out of her. He felt the cold electric jolt of something in his back and the feeling faded. Sam was crying.

"I'm sorry Sam," Tucker said as he put his arms around her. "We thought it was okay. I guess Jazz was wrong." Danny looked at them in bewilderment.

"Guys?" he asked. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I know you don't remember," Tucker said tiredly. "But shortly before she left to go to college, you tried to kill Sam. You were completely obsessed with her."

"Well your ghost half was," Sam said nervously.

"What?" Danny asked in shock. He felt like he was in a nightmare.

"I told you that I wasn't in love with you like that," Sam began softly. "I told you I was only your friend and…"

"And you went ballistic," Tucker continued as Sam trailed off. Danny looked back and forth at his friends in shock. He could vaguely remember the sting. He was finally able to face his feelings for Sam, to express them to her, and she had tried to let him down gently.

"Sam," he called happily as he flew through her bedroom window, as he had countless times during their friendship.

"_Don't you ever knock?" Sam teased. Danny looked at her a moment, she was sitting on the floor packing books, getting ready to leave for college. He decided to stay in ghost mode. It made him more confident, made his feelings for her that much sharper, and intense._

"_Do you have to go?" Danny asked as he reached for her hand._

"_Yes," Sam answered as she let Danny help her up. He pulled her into a hug and held her for a moment._

"_Is something wrong?" Sam asked as he embraced her._

"_I have something to tell you," Danny said breathlessly. "Something I should have told you a long time go, but I was scared."_

"_Danny," Sam started as she pulled away from him. "Don't."_

"_Don't what?" Danny asked in confusion._

_Sam looked at him sadly. "Whatever it is you're going to tell me, just don't. Please."_

_Danny reached out and took her hand. "Sam," he said. "It's nothing bad. I promise."_

"_I know," Sam replied. "Just don't say it."_

"_Why not?" he asked, his tone changing from confused to hurt._

"_Because it will change everything, Danny," Sam answered as tears came to her eyes. "I don't want things to change."_

"_Sam," Danny said brokenly. "I love you. I'm so in love with you. I need you. I've always needed you. Sam…"_

_Sam shook her head, and began wiping at the tears flowing swiftly from her eyes. Danny watched her as she moved away from him…his heart sinking. This was not how he pictured her reaction. Didn't she love him too?_

"_Danny," she said hoarsely. "I'm not fourteen anymore. We're not fourteen. I-I don't feel that way about you." She was looking at her hands. "I thought I did once, but the feelings changed. I do love you oh so much, but not in the way you want me to."_

"_Why?" Danny asked, aware that the question wasn't one she could really answer. He turned away from her, the pain searing down into the depths of his soul. She didn't love him…He needed her, and she didn't need him…He closed his eyes._

"_I'm so sorry," Sam began. "If I had known sooner that you felt this way, I would have tried to stop you. I don't want to hurt you. You're my best friend."_

"_Sam," Danny sobbed as his heart shattered and settled like dust at his feet. He should have changed back to his human form. His feelings were too intense when he was a ghost._

_

* * *

_

**Review? For me?**_  
_


	10. Hurt

**Still own nothing but my skin, though that ownership is questionable sometimes.  
**

**Genre: Drama**

**Rating: T**

**This fic is based on the song Hurt by NIN, written by Trent Reznor. I don't own that either.**

Hurt

He sat in his video room and watched the footage over and over again. It amazed him that he could still feel. That the pain was so sharp, sometimes it was the only thing which seemed real to him.

Vlad watched the footage silently. It was of his college days. Maddie, Jack and himself in the lab. Happy. He had watched this same clip over and over since Daniel had sent it to him. It had been filmed the day before his accident with the proto portal.

He wondered how he could have been so blind for so long. It was almost pathetic. There he was, the skinny little geek. There she was the beautiful Maddie. There he was that dolt Jack Fenton. There it was, the spark between them. It was so obvious. Why had he never seen it before? How could he have been so clueless? It was in the way they looked at each other, in the way she looked at him when she thought no one was looking. It was obvious that she loved him.

The thing which hurt the most was watching the boy he was, standing on the outside of these two people, two lovers, completely oblivious to the sparks between them. It was in the way he looked at Maddie when he thought no one was looking. It was in her indifference to him. She loved Jack, she would always love Jack.

He cued up another film, this one of his own making. He watched as he flew in his ghost form. Plasmius. He watched as the people around him ran in fear, and the grin of enjoyment on his face. He watched footage of fighting with Daniel, and Daniel's friends then paused the video.

"What have I become?" he asked the empty room as the remote control fell from numb fingers. He leaned forward and put his hands over his face.

He remembered everything. He remembered the accident which gave him ghost powers with vivid clarity. There were the days, weeks, months that followed. He had been lonely and sorrowful, bitter and full of pain. Had his accident warped him? Or had he already been warped?

They left him behind, Jack and Maddie. They moved on with their lives, living joyously, raising children. Vlad writhed with the pain of jealousy. He had nothing. He had riches beyond belief, unheard of powers, and yet his life was empty. 

And so he sat there, an old man with nothing but hate, bitterness, loneliness. He bent forward, keeping his hands in over his face, not wanting to look at the image frozen on the screen, of what he had become.

He felt a hand on his back and jumped and turned to see Daniel standing beside him. He shook his head in denial, wanting the boy to leave. All he could do was hurt, that's all he had left in him. Anger, hatred, pain. It's all he had to cling to.

"If I could change it Daniel," he said brokenly. "If I could go back and do it all again, I'd change everything."

"But you can't," Danny replied. Vlad looked down and then back at the video. He sighed deeply.

"You should leave, my boy," he said softly.

Danny changed into his ghost form then started walking away. "It's strange," he said. "In some way, you've been almost like the father figure to my ghost half."

Vlad turned and looked at Danny, as he laughed bitterly. "An abusive father perhaps." Danny shrugged his shoulders then flew away. Vlad shook his head then began replaying the video again.

The End


	11. Sweet Chaos

Sweet Chaos

Drifting down through the clouds, Dan or Dan Phantom as he liked to call himself, smiled what could be interpreted as a serene smile. Though his features held too much cruelty to be serene, perhaps his expression could be called sarcastic serenity.

He was taking a few moments of "peace" out of his otherwise busy day of rampaging and generally spreading fear throughout the populace. He let his mind wander as he tried to relax a moment, something he did very seldom. The creature that he was didn't like partaking in quiet contemplation, it left him facing thoughts he didn't want, memories he wanted to erase and feelings he did not want to feel.

Dan had no remorse for his actions, he truly loved and admired what he had become. There was no one more feared or more reviled in the Ghost Zone or the human world than himself. That's what he took pleasure in. He was the master of death and destruction and he loved, yet hated his life.

In the rarest of unfortunate occasions, he was unwillingly drawn into the realm of memories which were a terrible form of torture. He was however the intimate lover of pain, of the exquisite feel of torture, of the twisting pain of grief. He fed on most of those feelings and grew strong.

Pain and grief were his life blood. He was the son of regret and sorrow. Certain memories however were something which enraged him. It could be confusing, trying to untangle the twisted mass of thoughts invading his mind. Which memories belonged to who. Plasmius or Phantom?

He knew to whom the memory of beautiful lilac eyes belonged to. She was his most reviled memory, the one he denied the most. He knew to whom the memory of a talkative kid with a red hat belonged to, which on occasion, filled him with something he could only equate with homesickness, if he had a home.

Those memories were sent to him by the boy he'd taken his name from. Sweet Danny Fenton, who made the perfect mistake and in so doing created a creature far stronger, far ruthless, far more amazing than his puerile and selfish mind could have conceived. Dan knew that Danny would have abhorred what he was responsible for, but Dan didn't care. He had no remorse, no pity in his heart, because he had no heart, no soul, no conscience.

There were other memories which were harder to grasp, they were much fainter. They were delicate and if he grasped them too hard, they faded away like fragile cobwebs, leaving only a small and aching taste of bitterness.

They were memories of arms and legs and skin on skin, and of wanting. They were memories of intense obsession, of love refused, of bitter loss. He wanted to taste those exciting and fleeting reminiscences.

He wanted to savor the feeling of hatred and desire denied, but when he focused on the deep violet eyes, they were replaced by lilac and the more powerful of his memories took over, making him writhe in anguished anger and the need to destroy more, to destroy everything.

To destroy that which he'd already destroyed once, and laid waste to over and over again in his most treasured of fantasies. He often relived the moment he killed Danny Fenton and sometimes regretted that he took the boy's life so quickly.

He wanted more than anything to rid himself of the demon memories from that fool boy and his childish dreams of heroism. He wanted to embrace the darker leanings, the deliciously evilness that was Plasmius. He wanted to own the memories he couldn't hold on to, to make them his, almost like a lover yearning for his heart's desire.

There was one word. One solution. Vlad Masters. The delicious memories belonged to Vlad, and Dan wondered if the reason he couldn't have them, is that they still belonged to the man himself. If he had killed Vlad, instead of Danny, would Vlad's memories have reign over him, or would he still be tortured by the sweet loving memories of that boy?

He didn't regret killing the idiot kid, not in the least. No, Dan's only regret was that he let the old man live. He wanted those memories, and he felt that if he could only kill that old man, that they would be his at last and he could finally exercise the ghost of Danny Fenton, at long last. Yes, all he wanted was to trade one spirit for another that would prove to be much more compatible to his desires.

Vlad was not easily found. Dan had struck against the old man many times, but Vlad knew the rules of the game. He knew how to play dirty, he wasn't afraid of using his advantages no matter how unscrupulous and so he managed to evade Dan time and time again.

The old man was a thorn in his side. The knowledge of his existence pierced him, bit at him, made him itch and feel unsettling rage. It was so delightful, that Dan was tempted to let Vlad live.

Dan took no prisoners. He left nothing alive. Even the parents of his beloved…No no not his beloved, he had no beloved! Even the parents of that lilac eyed witch had fallen victim to his rage.

When he encountered Vlad again, he would not keep him alive. He would kill the old man. His only decision was whether or not to do it slowly or do it quickly, either way, Vlad's memories would be his.

**AN: I've wondered as I've gone over this little piece what Dan's reaction to Maddie would be. How conflicted would he be over her. After all he is a mixture of Danny and Vlad. Since Maddie is Danny's mother and Vlad's unrequited love it would make for some extremely twisted emotions indeed.**

**There have been a multitude of fics (many very good and forever unfinished), addressing Dan's obsession with Sam... But tell me, what would he do with Maddie? All things considered.**


	12. With Vlad's Help

**I still have writer's block quite desperately, but I'm struggling through, trying to get my thoughts out. This is a Vlad/Maddie piece, no romance don't worry. It's just really weird and Vlad tried really hard to make me write it first person too, he says I've been giving him a bad name lately –cough- Disclosures –cough- Heh! Imagine that!**

**I still own nothing! **

**Genre: Drama**

**Rating: K+ **

With Vlad's Help

She was sleeping as he crept into her room, he could have floated, but somewhere in his heart, he was hoping she would wake up and catch him. He feathered the hair off her face and sighed at the tear stained pillow. 

It had been a year since Jack's death, purely accidental, and yet she still cried herself to sleep every night. It broke his heart. He tucked the blankets up over her shoulders and sighed heavily.

Daniel was waiting outside in the hall, looking stern as always. His midnight visits were part of an agreement. He was to stay away from Maddie in her waking life, and Daniel would let Vlad visit her dreams, it was a small thing really, but better than nothing. Vlad was grateful for the chance to see her as he feathered his intangible hand through Maddie's body. She took a deep breath and sighed, almost contentedly as she whispered Jack's name, as she did every night Vlad visited her, and as always, a little part of him died. He wondered vaguely if that wasn't Daniel's intention, to kill him slowly and painful with the bittersweet agony of his love for Maddie.

"Maddie," Vlad whispered gently as he used his ghostly powers to fade into her dreams. "My love." He closed his eyes and found himself standing in a candle lit room, soft music playing in distance.

"Vlad," she said as she turned to him and smiled. She was wearing a white flowing gown, which lovingly hugged her curves, her bright eyes were smiling, her skin rosy, her hair vibrant, quiet unlike herself in her waking life, where she never spoke or reacted to anything or anyone.

She had grown quite thin and pale, her hair, eyes and skin, dull. No, Vlad didn't exactly stay completely away from her, Daniel may have surpassed his powers again and again, but he couldn't control everything, and he certainly couldn't keep Vlad from the woman he loved more than life itself.

"Maddie," Vlad replied happily as he reached his hand toward her. "You look stunning this evening."

"Thank you," she laughed as she took his offered hand and let him pull her into a chaste hug.

"I haven't seen you in ages," she said as her eyes searched Vlad's face. He smiled weakly. He'd seen her last night, but maybe in terms of dreams, it was forever.

"I'm sorry," Vlad apologized. "I've been extremely busy."

She nodded her head in understanding. "Jack was just saying," she began. "That he misses you. You should stop by for a visit." Vlad nodded his head in agreement. If Jack were alive, Maddie would never have invited Vlad for a visit and he knew it, she held him at a certain level of contempt, that while veiled, it was apparent she loathed him.

"Would you care to dance?" he asked as he gestured to the dance floor. Maddie smiled happily, and it looked like she was about to agree when she frowned and looked around the room like she was searching for someone.

"Jack should he here," she told him looking around in confusion. "I promised him I wouldn't dance with anyone before he had a chance…" She began to look distressed and Vlad held her hand tighter, doing his best to keep her from fleeing as the room darkened and shifted into the off kilter edges of a familiar nightmare.

He put his hand on her face and forced her fear filled, fevered eyes to look into his as he expended a mighty amount of effort and energy to keep the room dark and candle lit, instead of the sickly yellow and green hospital room where Jack had died, where Maddie punished herself over and over and over, pushing herself deeper and deeper into despair. She blamed herself, but it wasn't her fault, it was simply Jack's error.

"Darling," Vlad whispered gently. "Let's dance and catch up with Jack later. You don't have to do this." Her eyes closed and she shook her head. Vlad fought against the nightmare. He didn't want to see it again, he didn't want to go through Jack's death with her as they did every night.

Jack's death wasn't Vlad's fault, which was fortunate considering how often he'd plotted to kill Maddie's beloved husband, but it didn't matter, she was hurting and no matter the means of Jack's death, Vlad felt the sting of guilt, that even though he had great powers, he was unable to keep the oaf alive for her, he had tried.

Tears filled Maddie's eyes as she looked over Vlad's shoulder. He didn't want to turn around and greet what she was looking at. He knew it was Jack, laying in a hospital bed, skin blackened from plasma burns. She moved away, then passed Vlad, and he was forced to turn and look at Jack Fenton.

"Oh Jack," Maddie cried as she put her hand over her mouth. "Jack!" She ran to his bedside and Vlad moved quickly to stop her.

"You don't have to do this Maddie," he said sternly, trying to get her to look at him. She met his steel blue gaze with wide confused eyes. It was the first time he'd ever been able to take Maddie's attention away from Jack during the nightmare, his heart would have swelled with joy, if all his energy hadn't been expended trying to keep her focus on him.

"You can let go," he told her gently. "You don't have to keep doing this. Jack wouldn't want you to…" Her eyes suddenly filled with tears and he stepped back, feeling a strange tingling sensation which told him she was about to wake up, this was very unusual.

"I can't let go, Vlad," she said frantically. "I need him…I…love him."

"I know," Vlad told her soothingly then nearly choked on the following statement. "And he loved you. But there are a lot of people who love you and need you. Daniel and Jasmine, they've been trying so hard to carry on, but it's difficult, they're frightened. They lost their father and now they're losing their mother…"

"Danny?" Maddie asked her eyes filling with confusion. "Jazz?"

"Your children," Vlad said. Suddenly, he was thrown back away from Maddie's bed and she was fully conscious, sitting up, looking at Vlad in shock as he lay on the floor.

"Vlad?" she asked as she drew her blanket up to her chin, her voice was rusty from disuse. Vlad took several deep breaths, trying hard to recover from shock as he looked over his shoulder at the door. Was Daniel standing outside? Would he be angry if he knew his mother was awake, and Vlad was still here? Wait, she was awake and saying his name! His heart felt like it was going to burst from his chest.

He stood and straightened his suit then sat down on the edge of her bed. She continued to look at Vlad in shock, then looked around the room, the realization of where she was and what her life was like hitting her suddenly. She put her hand to her mouth and Vlad moved forward and put his arms around her.

"Jack," she cried as she put her arms around Vlad and began to shake. "He's gone."

"I'm sorry," Vlad told her as he stroked her hair. He closed his eyes and let his own tears fall. Maddie hadn't spoken since Jack died. She had slipped into a state of catatonia, reacting very little to the world around her, not living in reality.

Vlad was aware of the bedroom door opening and he wanted to yell at whomever it was to go away. He wanted to keep this moment to himself, and not have it taken away from. He felt he deserved it after helping Maddie come to terms with her husband's death, or at the very least with consciousness. No one was able to reach her but him. Vlad had developed a power which escaped Danny, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't mimic Vlad's ability to slip into people's dreams.

"Danny," Maddie said weakly as her son walked forward slowly. He looked at Vlad a moment then at his mother. She held out her arms to him and Vlad stood, stepping away from the bed, realizing that his presence was no longer necessary or wanted.

Jazz was suddenly beside him. She looked at him questioningly and he shrugged his shoulders. She blinked a few times then moved forward into her mother's welcoming arm as she cradled Danny, who seemed to be sobbing on her shoulder, in the other. Vlad looked at the family with an ache in his heart. Something was missing, there was an empty spot in the scene that he longed to fill but knew he never could, but he wanted desperately to try.

After making sure Maddie was fully conscious again, alive, awake and responsive, Danny and Jazz thanked him, telling him to come visit, that maybe it would be okay. Vlad smiled and said that he would always call first to make sure he was welcome. Maddie's children hugged him gratefully then sent him on his way.

Vlad said nothing more. He made his way home, into his lab, into a ghost protected vault, into another room inside the vault, to a table. On the table stood a Fenton Thermos, protected by a ghost shield.

He had scoured the Ghost Zone to find him. It had been a frantic and difficult task, but he had found Jack Fenton's ghost and captured him. Vlad had figured that Maddie would turn to him in grief, but only if she wasn't tormented by the specter of Jack. He'd promised himself when he left, that if he was unable to wake Maddie, he'd let Jack go to Maddie and see if he could heal her.

Vlad couldn't bear to see Maddie dying as she was, but he was successful and a sense of peace washed over him. He realized that Maddie would never love him, but he was still able to be a part of her life. Daniel and Jasmine had accepted him as a sort of friend, and slowly but surly he'd fill as best he could, the void Jack had left.

"She's okay Jack," Vlad told the thermos. "She's going to be all right. She doesn't need you anymore. It's all going to be all right." He smiled bitterly then walked out of the room, closing the door behind him, never wanting to look back again.

THE END

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

**HA! And you thought I was turning Vlad into a nice guy! Uh, no! XP**


	13. On A Bus To St Cloud

**As usual, I do not own Danny Phantom. **

**This is a song fic, well no song drabble based on a song by Trisha Yearwood called On A Bus To St. Cloud. I don't own that either.**

**Chaos Dragon gave me the idea for how to approach this, many, many months ago, so credit goes to her for the idea.**

On A Bus To St. Cloud

Jazz dug into her purse for a washcloth as she stood in the Grey Hound bus terminal in downtown St. Cloud, Minnesota. She was tired, more than tired; she was weary clear to the bone, emotionally and physically strung out.

Danny's sister finally found the washcloth, pulling it from the plastic baggie she'd shoved it into at the last stop, wet it and washed her face methodically. She tried not to look too deeply in the mirror, only enough to clean the grease of travel from her face, but she couldn't hide from the sadness in her turquoise eyes, or from the way despair had sapped away her vitality. She wasn't sure what kept her moving, maybe it was hope, or maybe it was just pure stubbornness.

If the truth were told, Jazz was running on nothing more than raw nerves. She'd traveled all across the country chasing after leads, looking for her brother, but every time she thought she found him, it turned out she was wrong.

When she first began her journey, she'd traveled to New York City, on the belief that Danny had run there to become lost in the crowd, to just feel like a human being again. She'd combed through the city as best she could, and she had really thought she saw him there, as she chased after dark haired boys, none of whom were her brother.

She felt like she was going nowhere when thought she saw him on a cold, L.A. freeway. It had to have been him. It had to be his face looking out the window at her from an old Greyhound bus. She'd chased that old bus down and waited with her heart in her throat as the bus unloaded. He wasn't there.

Jazz ended her journey somewhere in downtown New Orleans. She'd stumbled out of the crowds and into a church. She'd never been one to believe much in religion, but it was in the arms of Jesus she wept for the choice Danny had made.

After years of talking, years of Danny's fame from saving the world, and guarding it from danger, losing Sam and eventually Tucker too, Jazz felt that she and Danny had finally reached a break through, getting to the good part, to understanding everything that'd happened after that joyous day when he'd saved the world, pushing past the mystery so that maybe Danny could be whole again and reclaim his life as something more than Danny Phantom.

Danny was still Danny, and while in some part of herself, Jazz celebrated her discovery; Danny disagreed with her in his stubborn Danny Fenton way. Without a word, without any warning, he'd simply slipped away, out of view, like so many people in and out of the bus terminal in St. Cloud.

For years, he chased her like a shadow, haunted her like a ghost, just as she chased him. She hated him, she loved him so much, but mostly she missed him.

Jazz looked up, out the bus terminal window and frowned as she looked out the window. It'd just started to snow and she wondered if the bus would be canceled. All she wanted right now was to go home.

She stood and walked forward then stopped, blinking in shock as she saw him standing there. The snow was falling around him like the million prayers she'd whispered over the years. He blinked at her slowly then smiled slightly in his Dannyish way and Jazz's knees gave beneath her, and everything went dark.


	14. Pun

"Love makes the world go round," Maddie said to Jazz.

"I think," Danny whispered to his two best friends. "That love makes the world go perpendicular."

"What?" Sam asked incredulously as the corners of her mouth twitched.

"Perpendicular," Tucker answered. "Funny word, Danny."

Sam leaned on her hand and asked. "Do you even know what perpendicular means?

"Perpendicular," Tucker repeated than cracked up laughing. Danny smiled at the techno geek then looked at Sam a moment, blushed bright red, then looked away.

"Oh god no," Sam half yelled. "That's not one of your stupid puns again is it?"

"Puns!" Tucker half shrieked then fell off the couch onto the floor as he laughed.

"Perpendicular Puns," Danny said as he too began to laugh.

Sam pressed her hand over her face for a moment. "Why do I hang out with the two of you?"


End file.
